Acupuncture for Anxiety: Does it Work?

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a treatment where thin needles are inserted in predetermined points on your body for pain relief. And it’s divided people over its benefits for decades now.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture aims to restore the balance between yin and yang (interpreted as the parasympathetic and sympathetic activities in this case). The insertion of acupuncture needles stimulates the central nervous system to help relieve symptoms of anxiety, among that of other autonomic nerve-related disorders. There are several acupuncture points in the body that help with anxiety. These include yintang, located between the eyebrows; heart 7, on the crease of the wrist; baihui, at the top of the head; shenmen, on the wrist; and hegu, between the base of the thumb and the index finger.

While some swear by acupuncture, others have signed it off to be pseudoscience. Considering how widespread anxiety is today (be it feelings of anxiety or anxiety as a diagnosed disorder), owing to multiple internal and external aggressors, people have resorted to alternate ways to tackle it, depending on the intensity of their feelings and their resilience. And these include acupuncture. Mumbai-based acupuncture expert Rauzat Qureishi helps us understand how acupuncture for stress and anxiety can help to calm you down.

“Acupuncture is a very powerful method to balance your body, your hormones, rejuvenate your organs, and detoxify your system”, explains Qureishi.

She adds, “It works wonderfully with all kinds of pain issues, autoimmune problems, menstrual concerns, menopause, anxiety and depression.” Disorders that impact your mood, such as anxiety and depression, are prevalent across age groups, races and genders today. “When we do acupuncture, it regulates the parasympathetic system by balancing the hormones”, she says. Acupuncture stimulates your central nervous system and releases hormones that influence the tissues, muscles, organs, spinal cord, and brain. This releases the body's natural healing abilities and promotes physical and emotional well-being.

Qureishi claims, “It reduces cortisol, which is the stress hormone and increases serotonin, which is the happiness hormone. It calms the mind, and most people feel happier in the first treatment itself.”

According to Qureishi, one of the best acupuncture points for anxiety is shenmen, which is located on the wrist and the ear. Lung points are also very powerful in treating anxiety as the lungs deal with grief. These points combat anxiousness, regulate mood swings, and result in a calmer mind and better sleep. She advises that, as with all kinds of medication and treatment, it is essential to follow a prescribed course of action to see results.

“If the anxiety is not at a manageable level, we recommend 3 to 4 sessions a week. Otherwise, twice a week is sufficient, and usually only 10 sessions are required.”

Therapies like acupuncture are often used alongside other forms of treatment to tackle a health concern holistically. Acupuncture for anxiety relief may be considered as an adjunct with evidence-based medication or therapy for anxiety disorders to augment the recovery process after consulting the treating psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

Qureishi is an advocate and believes that the biggest benefit of acupuncture for anxiety is that it is one of the most effective and quick treatments for chronic anxiety since it has no side effects at all. “No medication is required, and within 10 sessions, almost 70% of patients feel completely fine. Of course, you can also work with a therapist if you prefer to take both approaches.”

While there may not be enough concrete studies that prove acupuncture’s benefits for anxiety, and it isn’t a replacement for mental health therapy, it can be tacked on to your current treatment plan—the explained advantages of acupuncture for anxiety outweigh any cons.

Additional Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3677642/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36570846/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6825666/ 
4. https://annals-general-psychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12991-021-00327-5
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3689180/
6. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2796568
7. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/acupuncture-for-anxiety

Medically Reviewed By:

Dr. B. S. Mahesh, Clinical Psychologist